PSI Sci
New here? Follow the money and the votes · Not sure of your district? Find your U.S. House member · Find your state legislators

H.R. 3598: Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2004

Before you vote › Federal bills

H.R. 3598: Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2004

108th Congress · introduced 2003-11-21 · Commerce · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2003-11-21 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Ehlers, Vernon J. [R-MI-3] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: 4 recorded votes in our records. Latest: House roll call 355 (2004): On Agreeing to the Amendment, HR3598 (2004-07-09), Failed. See all
  4. Where it stands now: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2004

Plain summary

Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2004 - (Sec. 2) Directs the President to establish or designate: (1) an Interagency Committee (IC) to plan and coordinate Federal efforts in manufacturing research and development; and (2) an Advisory Committee to provide advice and information to the IC from the non-Federal manufacturing research and development community. (Sec. 3) Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (NIST Act) to require the NIST Director to establish a pilot program of collaborative manufacturing research grants to partnerships among firms, educational institutions, research institutions, State agencies, and nonprofit organizations to encourage development of innovative, multidisciplinary manufacturing technologies. (Sec. 4) Amends the NIST Act to require the NIST Director to establish manufacturing sciences research fellowships at specified postdoctoral and senior levels. (Sec. 5) Revises the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program under the NIST Act to require the evaluation panel to notify any MEP center of the center's performance deficiencies if it has not received a positive evaluation. Authorizes the panel to place such a center on probation for one year and then reevaluate it. Authorizes the NIST Director, if a center has not addressed the deficiencies or shown significant improvement in performance, either to conduct a new competition to select an operator for the center or to close the center. Establishes, within the MEP program, a manufacturing extension center competitive grant program to develop projects to solve new or emerging manufacturing problems. Requires all MEP centers to submit annual audits to the Secretary and make such audits available to the public on request. (Sec. 6) Authorizes appropriations for FY 2005 through 2008 to the Secretary of Commerce for: (1) scientific and technical research and services laboratory activities of NIST in specified categories; (2) the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award program under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980; and (3) construction and maintenance of NIST facilities. (Sec. 7) Requires the NIST Director, as part of the Teacher Science and Technology Enhancement Institute Program, to carry out a Standards Education program to award competitive grants to institutions of higher education to support their efforts to develop curricula on the role of standards in the fields of engineering, business, science, and economics. Authorizes appropriations for FY 2005 through 2008 to the Secretary of Commerce for the Teacher Science and Technology Enhancement Institute Program of NIST. (Sec. 8) Authorizes appropriations for FY 2005 through 2008 to the Secretary of Commerce for the following NIST programs: (1) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (in this case, such funding may go through the Secretary or other appropriate Federal agencies); (2) Collaborative Manufacturing Research Pilot Grants; and (3) Manufacturing Fellowships.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2004

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Ehlers, Vernon J. [R-MI-3] · 31 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 3598, Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2004 (2004-06-23); CBO cost estimate: H.R. 3598, Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2004 (2004-06-23)

Cosponsors on this site

Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), James P. McGovern (D-MA)

Recorded votes

Words on this page, explained (2)
Appropriation
Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Fiscal year
The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong108-hr3598 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108